Sony Xperia 1 IV vs Sony Xperia 1 VIII
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyXperia 1 IV | SonyXperia 1 VIII | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | June 2022 | June 2026 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 6.5″ | 6.5″ |
| Resolution | 3840 × 1644 (better) | 2340 × 1080 |
| Sharpness | 643 pixels per inch (better) | 396 pixels per inch |
| Panel | OLED | LTPO OLED |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Display type | 4K HDR OLED, 21:9 | OLED, Full HD+, HDR |
| Always-on display | – | Always show time and info (lock screen setting; includes battery level) |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus front and rear | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Display features | 120 Hz refresh; 240 Hz motion blur reduction and touch scanning; Creator mode powered by CineAlta; Sony says about 50% brighter than Xperia 1 III | 1–120 Hz variable refresh rate; Creator mode and Auto creator mode; Real-time HDR drive; Sunlight Vision with adaptive brightness; light sensors on the front and back adjust brightness and colour; BRAVIA-style picture processing (Xperia Intelligence) |
| Performance | ||
| Chip | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Memory | 12 GB | 12 GB – 16 GB (better) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB, 1 TB (better) |
| Storage type | 256 GB UFS in UK specification; microSDXC slot supports up to 1 TB | microSDXC card slot for cards up to 2 TB, in the SIM tray |
| Cooling | – | Vapour chamber and heat-spreading sheet |
| Cameras | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP | 48 MP (better) |
| Ultra wide camera | 12 MP | 48 MP |
| Telephoto camera | 12 MP | 48 MP |
| Optical zoom | 5.2× (better) | 2.9× |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Main camera | 12 MP, 24 mm, ƒ/1.7, 1/1.7-inch Exmor RS sensor | 48 MP, 24 mm, ƒ/1.9, 1/1.35-inch Exmor T for mobile sensor (two-layer transistor pixel stacked CMOS); 12 MP photos by default, 48 MP in 48 MP mode; hybrid stabilisation |
| Ultra wide camera | 12 MP, 16 mm, ƒ/2.2, 1/2.5-inch Exmor RS sensor | 48 MP, 16 mm, ƒ/2.0, 1/1.56-inch Exmor RS for mobile sensor; 12 MP photos; close-up shooting |
| Telephoto camera | 12 MP, continuous 85–125 mm, ƒ/2.3–2.8, 1/3.5-inch Exmor RS sensor | 48 MP, 70 mm, ƒ/2.8, 1/1.56-inch Exmor RS for mobile sensor; 12 MP photos; tele-macro; hybrid stabilisation |
| Front camera | 12 MP, ƒ/2.0, 1/2.9-inch Exmor RS sensor | 12 MP, ƒ/2.0 |
| Zoom | Continuous 85–125 mm optical telephoto (about 3.5–5.2× relative to 24 mm main); 15.6× hybrid zoom | 16, 24, 48, 70 and 140 mm; 48 mm and 140 mm are 2× crops (12 MP) from the 24 mm and 70 mm cameras; 70 mm is 2.9× the main camera's focal length |
| Video recording | 4K HDR at 24, 25, 30, 60 or 120 fps on all three rear cameras; Cinematography Pro and Videography Pro | 4K at up to 120 fps; HDR (HLG/BT.2020) or SDR (BT.709); S-Cinetone for mobile; slow motion at 120 fps in 4K or Full HD; AI Camerawork subject tracking and Auto Framing |
| Camera features | Photography Pro; ZEISS T* coating; up to 20 fps AF/AE burst; Real-time Eye AF and subject tracking; 3D iToF sensor | AI Camera Assistant suggests looks, lenses and background blur for each scene; RAW multi-frame processing on all three cameras; Creative Look presets; Face/Eye AF for people and animals; Pro photo and Pro video modes; Bokeh mode; ZEISS T* coating on every lens |
| Battery and charging | ||
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | Up to 30 W | Up to 30 W |
| Wireless charging | Up to 15 W | Up to 15 W |
| Battery life detail | – | Rated 4,850 mAh; Sony says it lasts two days per charge and that Battery Care keeps the battery healthy for four years; EU energy label class A, 51 h 7 min per charge, 1,400 charge cycles |
| Wired charging | USB Power Delivery; Sony claims 50% charge in 30 minutes; 30 W maximum reported by Stuff | 30 W, 50% in about 30 minutes (GSMArena; Sony's UK page couldn't be read); no charger in the box |
| Wireless charging | Qi wireless charging; 15 W maximum reported by Stuff | Qi wireless charging; 15 W (GSMArena) |
| Charges other devices | Battery Share charges other Qi devices | Battery share wirelessly charges other Qi devices |
| Design | ||
| Type | Standard | Standard |
| Weight | 185 g (better) | 200 g |
| Thickness | 8.2 mm (better) | 8.3 mm |
| Height × width | 165 × 71 mm | 162 × 74 mm |
| Water and dust resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Stylus | – | No |
| Materials | – | Aluminium frame and glass back, both with a fine textured finish inspired by raw ore |
| Colours | Black, Ice White, Purple | Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red; Native Gold (16 GB + 1 TB only) |
| Buttons | Power, volume and dedicated two-stage camera shutter | Two-stage shutter button (long press opens the camera); volume and zoom button; power button with fingerprint sensor |
| Water resistance detail | IPX5/IPX8 water resistance and IP6X dust resistance | IPX5/IPX8 water resistance and IP6X dust resistance; IPX8 tested in 1.5 m of fresh water for 30 minutes; keep the SIM/microSD tray closed |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint sensor | Fingerprint sensor in the power button |
| Speakers | Front-facing full-stage stereo speakers; Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio Upmix and DSEE Ultimate | Full-stage stereo speakers with identical left and right units, full enclosure |
| Microphones | – | Main, second and rear voice-priority microphones |
| Software | ||
| Operating system | Android | Android |
| Software updates | – | Up to four Android version upgrades and six years of security updates (Sony Japan); EU listing promises at least 5 years of updates after the model leaves the market |
| AI features | – | Xperia Intelligence (AI Camera Assistant, AI Camerawork, Auto Framing); DSEE Ultimate AI upscaling for music files and streaming; Google Gemini; Circle to Search |
| Software at launch | Android 12 | – |
| In the box | Sony says no charger or cable is included | No charger (Sony); GSMArena's review unit came without a USB cable too |
| Connectivity | ||
| Satellite messaging | – | No |
| Mobile network | Sub-6 GHz 5G and 4G LTE | – |
| SIM | Dual SIM, nano-SIM and eSIM | One nano-SIM and eSIM, or two eSIMs (dual SIM) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E, 2.4/5/6 GHz | Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) with Multi-Link Operation |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 and LE Audio | Bluetooth 6.0, LE Audio, Auracast |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 at 5 Gbps with DisplayPort 4K/60 output; separate 3.5 mm headphone socket | USB-C with DisplayPort video output and USB-LAN adapter support; 3.5 mm headphone jack |
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